Rankings and Awards

EMPLOYMENT LAW

Legal 500: Ranking Band 1, Employment Law, Edition 2020:
Formed in 2018 after a split from Kunz Wallentin Rechtsanwälte GmbH, the employment practice at Schima Mayer Starlinger Rechtsanwälte GmbH hosts a large team taking on cross-border work, such as advising a global gaming group and an international oil and gas company. The practice is headed by Georg Schima, who specialises in directors‘ and officers‘ liability and corporate governance issues, and Birgit Vogt-Majarek, who led the team in representing Austrian Airlines in 120 salary reduction claims. Work includes collective and individual employment law, restructurings, manager employment contracts and pensions.

Legal 500 Leading Individual 2020:
Georg Schima is named Leading Individual 2020

Chambers: Ranking Band 1, Employment Law, Edition 2019:
What the team is known for: Outstanding employment practice with particular strength in employment litigation. Further expertise lies in cases regarding pensions, benefits and social security. Also specialises in business restructurings, working time law, works council relations and collective bargaining issues. Attracts high-profile clients from a range of sectors, including the public sector, healthcare, telecommunications, IT, transportation and retail. Recent work has included advising employers on the implementation and consequences of the GDPR.
Strengths: Sources highlight the team’s efficiency, with one interviewee saying the lawyers ″are prompt and reliable and advise in a solution-oriented way.″
Another interviewee values the team’s practical approach and says: ″The lawyers are of very high legal quality but their advice is also very practically applicable.″
Notable practitioners: The ″outstanding″ Georg Schima maintains a strong reputation for employment law topics, particularly in relation to litigation. He also advises clients on internal investigations. read more

Chambers: Ranking Band 1, Employment Law, Edition 2018:
″What the team is known for: Outstanding employment practice with one of the largest teams in Austria. Particular strength lies in employment litigation, with expertise in cases regarding pensions, benefits and social security. Also specialises in business restructurings, working time law, works council relations and collective bargaining issues. Attracts high-profile clients from a range of sectors, including the public sector, healthcare, telecommunications, IT, transportation and retail.
Strengths: Praising the practice for its ″excellent knowledge″ in employment matters, one client goes on to endorse its superlative ″flexibility and availability.″ Sources also note the strength of the employment department at Kunz Schima Wallentin, noting that there is ″no doubt″ that it is a market-leading practice. www.chambersandpartners.com

Legal 500: Ranking Band 1, Employment Law, Edition 2018:
The law firm ″assists a wide range of national and international clients with contentious and non-contentious employment matters including works council negotiations, reorganisations, bonus schemes, working hours and pension law issues.”www.legal500.com

The Legal 500 Hall of Fame:
HonProf Dr Georg Schima has been highlighted in The Legal 500 Hall of Fame in the field of Employment for his constant praise by clients for continued excellence. The Legal 500 Hall of Fame highlights individuals who have received constant praise by their clients for continued excellence. The Hall of Fame highlights, to clients, the law firm partners who are at the pinnacle of the profession. In Europe, Middle East and Africa, the criteria for entry is to have been recognised by The Legal 500 as one of the elite leading lawyers for seven consecutive years. http://www.legal500.com/hall-of-fame

Legal 500 Leading Individual 2016:
Georg Schima is named Leading Individual 2016

ENERGY LAW

Legal 500 Edition 2020:The projects and energy team at Schima Mayer Starlinger Rechtsanwälte GmbH is renowned for its expertise in energy law, and ‘outstanding’ group head Thomas Starlinger is highly praised by clients. Work highlights include representing an energy infrastructure provider in a dispute relating to the validity of long-term contracts regarding EU and Austrian energy law, successfully representing an energy infrastructure provider in an appeal against a decision by Austrian energy regulator E-Control relating to infrastructure development plans, and advising a market participant on the restructuring of the Austrian gas balancing regime. Moritz Am Ende and Christian Mayer are key contacts for competition mandates.

Legal 500 Leading Individual 2020:Thomas Starlinger is named Leading Individual 2020

AI Global Leading Adviser Awards 2019:
Thomas Starlinger – Leading International Energy Law Specialist of the Year from Austria

Legal 500 Leading Individual 2019:
Thomas Starlinger is named Leading Individual 2019

Legal 500 Edition 2019:“With a superb reputation for energy sector work, Schima Mayer Starlinger Rechtsanwälte GmbH covers the whole spectrum of electricity and gas regulatory matters including state aid and competition law as well as contentious issues. Team head Thomas Starlinger is highly regarded in the market and supported by Moritz Am Ende; both ‘provide accurate and speedy answers.”

Legal 500 Leading Individual 2017:
Thomas Starlinger is Leading Individual as an expert in Projects and Energy. ″With a focus on energy law, Starlinger Mayer Rechtsanwälte GmbH is well versed in assisting network operators, industrial consumers, energy traders and suppliers with contentious and non-contentious energy contract matters alongside competition law and regulatory issues such as tariff setting. Moritz Am Ende and ‘outstanding and pragmatic energy lawyer’ and team head Thomas Starlinger advised the Austrian Hoteliers Association on the Austrian energy tax credit refund scheme and other energy law matters.″ www.legal500.com

COMPETITION / EU

″Christian Mayer of SCHIMA MAYER STARLINGER Rechtsanwälte GmbH regularly advises clients on compliance and merger control matters. He has additional expertise in antitrust training for companies. Clients value him for his ″quick replies, flexibility and comprehensive understanding of matters,″ adding that he is ″highly service-oriented.″ https://chambers.com/profile/organisation/22876108?publicationTypeId=7

Chambers: Ranking Band 3 Competition/EU, Edition 2018:
″Christian Mayer of Starlinger Mayer Rechtsanwälte GmbH is ″very helpful and co-operative,″ and clients also appreciate that he is able to ″go beyond the legal questions and find appropriate paths to solutions.″ He recently advised Kurier Zeitungsverlag und Druckerei on merger control and other competition law matters related to the acquisition of Schau-TV. He also acts on antitrust matters and has a particularly strong reputation for his work in the media, energy and tourism sectors.www.chambers.com

Legal 500 EU and Competition 2017:
Christian Mayer emphasised as Next Generation Lawyer
″Starlinger Mayer Rechtsanwälte GmbH’s ‘well connected’ team provides an ‘impressive service level’ as well as ‘quick responses’ and acts for a number of energy, infrastructure and media sector players. ‘Ambitious and solution-oriented’ team head Christian Mayer, who has ‘vast experience in dealing with the Austrian competition authorities’ and ‘is able to find the needle in a haystack when setting up a defence strategy’, advised KURIER Zeitungsverlag und Druckerei Gesellschaft on competition law issues pertaining to its acquisition of Schau-TV. Moritz am Ende is recommended.″www.legal500.com

Chambers: Ranking Band 4, Banking and Finance, Edition 2018:
″Stephan Schmalzl advises international financial services providers, investment funds and insurance companies, including in contentious matters. ″He is not only looking at the legal aspects of any issues, but also does his best to understand and challenge the financial implications,″ a client says. Stephan pursues a hands-on approach and has a clear focus on client oriented solutions. He is a senior finance lawyer with more than 17 years of experience in large and complex transactions and a strong track record and broad experience in a wide array of finance transactions such as project finance, corporate and M&A finance (incl. private equity financing structures), as well as banking litigation. ″www.chambers.com

LIGITATION

Chambers: Ranking Band 3, Dispute Resolution: Litigation – Austria, Edition 2019:
Said to have outstanding experience in the field, Georg Schima of Schima Wallentin Rechtsanwälte GmbH is a well-recognised litigator. He is particularly focused on employment matters. https://chambers.com/profile/individual/322255?publicationTypeId=2